I’ve been running in Salomon shoes on and off for many years. I typically find their regular trail shoes a little too firm for my running style, so I rotate with other brands for summer trail activities. However, winter in Colorado offers some great running in snow conditions. The downside, though, can be ice! [...]
For the trail runner that is looking for a plush ride on the trails while being able to stick to the trail surface, the La Sportiva Quantum is a must see. When I first received this shoe to test, I was very skeptical about the outsole and whether it would hold to the trail. It [...]
Just so that I don’t have to write this long title every time, let’s start with the name. Newton Running has chosen Latin names for their models (as would be appropriate for a company founded upon the principals of Sir Isaac), and refers to the shoes also in the English translation. The Newton Terra Momentus, [...]
I felt fortunate to be able to test a pair of LOWA S-Cruise GTX women’s trail shoes. Upon first removing the shoes from the box my initial thought was, “whoa, these are kind of heavy for a trail runner.” I wondered if they just felt heavy compared to my street shoes. I even asked my [...]
What’s coming down the pipeline? Julbo, that’s what. Sunglasses are difficult to test - more suited to individual tastes than just about anything we review, it’s hard to take an objective look at them. Just about anyone can look good in a running jacket or in a pair of boots (okay, not anyone – you know what I [...]
Make puma tracks – on the trail. Puma’s long been known for everything sports related – indeed, their slogan this year is to live the “sportslifestyle”. That’s all one word on purpose. It was only a matter of time, therefore, until Puma decided they needed to take their show on the road… or trail, rather. [...]
The Asics Trabuco has been a staple in the Asics trail running line for a number of years now. And while Asics is not the first brand that comes to mind when many runners think of trail running, I feel they DO make a solid trail running shoe. The Asics Trabuco 14 doesn’t belong in [...]
Day 2 of the Gore-Tex Trans Rockies Run was a little shorter in distance which I originally thought would be an easier day of running. Typically shorter runs mean less time on your feet and less pressure on your body. The actual distance of the race was 13.3 miles with 3,250 ft of elevation [...]
Meet the latest race inspired trail shoe from Salomon. Salomon trail shoes have the ability to polarize debates on running boards and blogs across the country. Certainly a giant in the outdoor sports industry, Salomon has been around for some time. A company doesn’t do this without doing a few things right along the [...]
After running one leg of the Gore-Tex Trans Rockies Run in 2010, I Kevin Fonger caught the bug and decided to run the 2011 Gore-Tex Trans Rockies Run. The race/adventure goes on for 6 days and covers 119.5 miles through the Colorado Rockies. There are teams of two and solo running options. The solo runners [...]
As summer comes and goes, I often reminisce and look back at the events that were most memorable for me. As my 2nd time attending the Teva Mountain Games (TMG), I am reminded of how much fun this event is for both athletes and spectators. If you like the outdoors even half as much as [...]
First ascent is the branch of Eddie Bauer that’s built for maximum performance. The line up has outerwear for every need, whether it’s undertaking your first Badwater marathon, or scaling the highest peak in North America. Granted, I put the Mistral through neither of these activities, but I did take it up the side of [...]
We here at AGR will go to extremes to test gear. We do it so that you will know with absolute certainty that when the going gets tough, your gear gets going. Over the years, we’ve thrown all that we had at all manner of gear. It’s with some chagrin now that I have [...]
Camelbak. We all know the name, we’ve seen people wearing it, and we know how it works. Essentially, you carry water like a camel – in a pack on your back. Granted, a camel can’t strap anything on and off (mainly due to a lack of opposable thumbs and a phobia of mesh webbing), but [...]
While many running shoe manufactures are taking the route of less is more, Tecnica is taking an alternative approach where bigger is supposed to be better. The name of the shoe is Diablo Max and the concept isn’t to just make the running shoe bigger with more cushioning, but to develop a shoe that helps [...]
Although the adidas Adizero XT Trail is advertised as a go anywhere shoe, it’s hard to believe anyone would run this anywhere but the trail. While I liked it on the trail, the composition of the shoe (especially the outsole) just doesn’t lend itself to anything but running on trails. It did run well, though, [...]
Contest Below! I’m not going to lie – we testers at activegearreview.com open a lot of shoe boxes. As such, we’ve all developed a fairly good barometer for how a shoe will perform just by picking it right up out of the box. Many things are revealed just by the initial poke and prod we [...]
New for Spring 2011, Platypus introduces the Origin 3.0 hydration pack. The Origin 3.0 is a 2 liter hydration pack with intended uses of mountain biking, trail running, and other activities where you bring along only the necessary. The hydration bladder that comes with the Origin 3 is 2 liters, which you can typically [...]
Soon enough, we got enough of a thaw to take them out to the trail and gravel. I run 1.5 mile of concrete to get to my trails, and the Minimus just didn’t feel right on the road. It wasn’t one solid thing I could put my finger on, but they just aren’t suited to [...]
Whether you believe that Barefoot running is bunk or not, it appears that many of the major manufacturers believe that it is here to stay. The “less is more” philosophy has been coming on strong for quite some time now, and Merrell is one of several companies to embrace the trend by putting out several [...]
Continuing to deepen its roots in the trail running scene, La Sportiva continues its efforts with the Mountain Cup trail running series. I recently ran the Jupiter Peak Steeplechase on August 7th, 2010, a 16 mile trail race in Park City, UT. The race started out with about a 1/2 mile fire road to allow runners [...]
You may be wondering why in the heck a girl is reviewing men’s running shorts. Fair enough. Don’t worry, I have not forsaken by beloved running skirts in exchange for men’s shorts, but I have participated in the successful conclusion of my husband’s quest to find the ultimate running shorts—and I had to share so as [...]
If you are an old-school, purist runner who thinks minimalist track shorts are the only proper running attire, well…I disagree. I love running skirts. They are comfortable, feminine yet functional and look great on most body types. One of the many reasons I despised gym class was the unisex, elastic-waistband, puffy shorts that managed to [...]
